Matt Dowling | |
|---|---|
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from the51st district | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – November 30, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Timothy S. Mahoney |
| Succeeded by | Charity Grimm Krupa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1984-11-18)November 18, 1984 (age 41) |
| Party | Republican (2014–present) |
| Spouse | Rebecca Harmon-Dowling (2010-2024) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Waynesburg University |
| Website | http://www.MatthewDDowling.com |
Matt Dowling (born November 18, 1984) is an American politician who served in thePennsylvania House of Representatives for the51st district from 2017 to 2022, as a member of theRepublican Party.
Dowling graduated fromUniontown Area High School in 2003. He studied Theology and Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville and obtained a B.A. in Business Administration and Management from Waynesburg University.[2]
Dowling began his political career in 2016, when he defeatedTim Mahoney, a five-term Democratic incumbent, in the general election for the 51st District seat in thePennsylvania House of Representatives.[3]
The 51st Legislative District consisted of portions ofFayette andSomerset counties.[4] In the state House, Dowling was assigned to the Judiciary, Liquor Control, State Government, and Urban Affairs committees.[2]
In 2020, incumbent PresidentDonald Trumplost Pennsylvania and was defeated in his bid for reelection. Trump and his allies refused to accept his defeat, falsely claimed that the election was fraudulent or marred by irregularities, and carried out a months-long effort to overturn the election result.[5] Dowling was one of many Republican members of thePennsylvania Legislature who signed a January 4, 2021 letter to Pennsylvania'scongressional delegation asking them to seek a halt to the2021 United States Electoral College vote count (and thus the formalization of the victory ofJoe Biden). The letter was sent prior to theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack, in which apro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the counting of the votes and keep Trump in power.[6]
Matthew Dowling was named chairman of the HouseSecond Amendment Caucus for the 2021-22 Legislative Session.[7] Upon Dowling's retirement Rep. Abby Major (R-Armstrong/Indiana/Butler) was named chair.[8]
On July 1, 2022, three weeks after an automobile crash involving the consumption of alcohol, Dowling ended his bid for reelection, removing his name from the ballot.[9][4] On September 19, 2022, the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette printed a favorable editorial about Dowling's proposed bill to allow self-exclusion from alcohol purchases.[10]
In June 2022, Dowling was charged withdriving under the influence of alcohol,careless driving, driving anunregistered vehicle, and following too closely. The charges followed his arrest inSouth Union Township after he rear-ended another vehicle twice at ared light at a busy intersection. Dowling'sblood alcohol content was .272, over three times the legal limit in Pennsylvania.[11][9] The crash took place the day after Dowling's driver's license had been reinstated; his license had previously been medically suspended after an October 2021 automobile crash, which was due to adiabetic emergency.[12][13] Dowling said he would enter treatment to "address any possible alcohol issues" and attributed the crash to "disappointing behavior that I have faced in the past with respect to alcohol."[11][12]
In December 2023, Dowling was charged with several misdemeanors. In the midst of divorcing his wife, Dowling was alleged to have filed false reports of child abuse against his wife. The charge was later dropped.[14] Dowling was listed inThe Herald-Standard as having been charged with crimes that did not result in conviction. The newspaper printed a correction.[15]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Dowling | 13,318 | 53.07% | |
| Democratic | Tim Mahoney (incumbent) | 11,779 | 46.93% | |
| Total votes | 25,097 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Dowling (incumbent) | 10,773 | 55.47% | |
| Democratic | Tim Mahoney | 8,650 | 44.53% | |
| Total votes | 19,423 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Dowling (incumbent) | 19,592 | 68.64% | |
| Democratic | Kevin Jones | 8,953 | 31.36% | |
| Total votes | 28,545 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Dowling (incumbent) | 3,642 | 60.20% | |
| Republican | Ryan Porupski | 2,408 | 39.80% | |
| Total votes | 6,050 | 100.00% | ||